DNA's uses in today's society


Forensics (identification of criminals, etc.)

(see page on DNA and Forensics)

Identifying family m​embers and origins

"DNA Fingerprinting" is a technology that is liked regulat fingerprinting but much more accurate. Your Dna fingerprint is in every cell of your body, is completely individual and is unalterable. Dna fingerprinting is a powerful enough technology that a genetic disorder was found in the blood-stained clothing of Abraham Lincoln. (David F. Betsch)

Dna fingerprinting is used in paternity tests mostly for legal purposes. It is also being collected from all the personel in the armed forces to use as identification in case of casualties or persons missing in action. (David F. Betsch)

Detecting and Curing illnesses

Dna is used to cure diseases. One of the ways it is used to do this is to replace a mutant gene with a normal one. There is a form of genetic immunodeficiency disease that is caused by a defective gene in a bene marrow cell and it has been cured by this method. Cystic fibrosis is a lung disease caused by a mutant gene. Scientists have placed the normal gene in a disable virus and infected kids to restore partial lung function. (Michael B. lomonaco)

DNA Fingerprinting is used to find diseases and disorder in everyone: adults, children, and unborn babies. These disorders may include cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, Huntington's disease, familial Alzheimer's, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and many others. By discovering these disorders early in prenatal and newborn babies, they are able to recieve proper treatment early enough and prospective parents are able to make desisions about their affected pregnancies. (David F. Betsch)

Alteration and Modification of plants


Genetic modification of crops is the artificial insertion of a gene into a host plant to get a desired effect. It is usually used in food crops to make plants more resistant to pests or to give them a better shelf life. It can also change ripening speed, improve appearence or taste, enrich foods with vitamins, and improve their resistense to drought disease and cold.


Facts about Genetically Engineered Food (biointegrity.org)

    • Some of the new blueprints for grains, fruits and vegitables now contain genes from viruses, bacteria, animals, and insects
    • Over 60% of the processed foods consumed in the US contain ingrediants from genetically modified crops
    • Many scientists view this genetic reconstruction of crops as a threat to human and environmental health
    • The FDA (supposedly...)covered up many warnings from their scientific experts about these modified foods claiming that they were unaware that risks were different in these compared to other foods

Also related to plants:

DNA Barcodes